The pros of Living in Chile

Comments

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  Stanleyvetock5 years ago(Modified)

  Chile is Epic... I disagree with all the cons below.....I went to a coastal town and it was incredible.....beautiful and peaceful....and am considering a move to that place.....to live that in USA .....you’d have to watch the tv and not live it because it be unaffordable.....in Chile it’s a fraction of the cost fir that beauty and peace.....and there was no pollution, no crime

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  evolo10 years ago(Modified)

  Cons... I´ll give you cons all day long. 1. It is the third most polluted city in the world. As a Canadian there isn´t much worse for me than not being able to see 10 city blocks. The mountains are beautiful, if you can see them. 2. The drivers are terrible. I've driven all over the world, Asia, Europe, North and Central America, Australia and I can tell you that the drivers in Chile are on par, if not worse, with Mexico and Spain. Forget signal lights. In order to change lanes you must make eye contact with the other driver, wave your hand out the window (no passenger, no right turns), and wait for them to acknowledge your existence. Don´t forget to fake a smile. 3. It is horribly expensive in Chile. The gasoline is almost 2 dollars per liter. Clothing is 40% more than North America. Food is sometimes slightly cheaper but generally exactly the same. You won´t notice. Alcohol is however cheaper. For now. 4. Nobody speaks english. Only the richest 3% (under the age of 40) speak any English. And the Spanish they speak is muddled and often impossible to discern. Picture five drunk Irish men speaking English amongst themselves and you will have a rough idea of what i´m talking about. 5. The wages are two to four times lower than North America and Australia for educated jobs. A young (connected) lawyer can expect to earn 48000 US per year. Chefs make 2 dollars per hour. 6. Everything and I mean everything requires a RUT. It´s like a social insurance number that you have to give out at every moment of every day to accomplish even the simplest transaction. Want a cell phone contract, you need a RUT. Want a gym membership, you need a RUT. Use a credit card, they will ask for a RUT and then require your passport number if you don´t have one. 7. Everything needs to be notarized. Period. 8. The government system is a nightmare. If you come you will understand. Make friends with a Lawyer, and fast. 9. The people are racist. If you are black, asian, pretty much everything but white, you will have problems. 10. Everybody cheats. Not just sexually, although it is pretty much compulsory to do so, but at everything. They will lie cheat and steal if given the opportunity. 11. The "nice" neighborhoods look more like upscale prisons than townhomes. Electric fences, guard dogs, spikes, razor wire, barbed wire, you name it they have it. I even saw a preschool with broken bottles lining the top of their 7 foot concrete wall. 12. The average work week is 48 hours but they accomplish only 10 hours of real work. If you own a business, good luck. But what do you expect when the average wage is only 350 dollars per month. 13. The adults are more like children. Most Chilean girls live at home until they get married. Even into their 30´s in some cases. The men leave home earlier but have been so babied that even in their late 20´s they behave like teenagers. Gossip, backstabbing and general high school mentality is rampant. Never get too friendly with people at parties. Most are looking for gossip to spread about you later. And as everyone in Chile knows each other it will spread fast and be permanently damaging. This country runs on gossip. 14. If you leave the "rich" neighborhoods poverty, garbage and crime are everywhere. 15. Traffic. Santiago grew so quickly that their roadway infrastructure couldn't keep up. Rush hour is from 7am - 10am and 3pm - 8pm. 16. You have to pay for everything from people bagging your groceries to parking at a 7-11. Nothing in Santiago is free. Nothing. 17. Integrating into the population is almost impossible if you are educated. If you are poor you can get in no problem. Apparently the rich people have made it easier so they can import impoverished Peruvian nannies. However if you are educated get ready for one of the most expensive, time consuming, government red tape experiences of your life. Even sending mail through the post office feels like a day at the department of motor vehicles. Get ready to spend your first year in Chile standing in line. 18. Your consulate will be of little to no help. They are more like a team of sales associates helping Chileans travel to your country than a group of government officials paid to help their citizens. I was asked 3 times if I was sure I needed information on working in Chile as a Canadian and not visa versa. 19. Absolutely nothing works! As they say... "It´s the Chilean way!"

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  JustJilly10 years ago(Modified)

  Where are the cons? And I read elsewhere that being black in chile will get you long stares.. random people touching you.. or asking to take a photo with you... My husband is black and we're a little anxious to see how this will play out..

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  Guest12 years ago(Modified)

  - the availability of lots of international brands & products at great prices, in relation to the country of origin(cars,electronics,households,etc): Sorry, but I disagree with you on this topic since car prices are by far more expensive than in the United States and the cars offered in Chile are car with basic features in them. Cars in the US are by far less expensive and come with many more amenities.

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  Guest12 years ago(Modified)

  Theres no cons.